Article of jewelry with detachably mounted jewels and keeper means therefor

ABSTRACT

A CUSTOM-MADE FINGER RING IS ADAPTED TO MOUNT A SELECTED NUMBER OF SET JEWELS THEREIN. THE KEEPER MAY BE A SINGLE MEMBER WITH A RECESS HOLDING SAID JEWELS, OR A PAIR OF MEMBERS TO BE SECURED IN SAID GROOVE AT RESPECTIVE ENDS OF A ROW OF SAID JEWELS. THE RING HAS A TRANSVERSE GROOVE FORMED IN THE HEAD THEREOF HAVING INCLINED SIDE WALLS WHICH MAKE A DOVE-TAIL FIT WITH THE SETTINGS OF A ROW OF SELECTED JEWELS SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVE KEEPER MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID GROOVE BRACKETS THE ROW OF JEWELS AND SCREW MEANS LOCK THE KEEPER MEANS IN SAID GROOVE TO RETAIN THE ROW OF JEWELS SECURELY THEREIN.

Dec. 14,197] J. SCHNEIDER ARTICLE OF' JEWELRY WITH DETACHABLY MOUNTED JEWEL-S AND KEEPER MEANS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 10, 1969 INVENTOR. JACK SCHNEIDER ATTORNEY Dec- 14. 1971 J. SCHNEIDER ARTICLE OF JEWELRY WITH DETACHABLY MOUNTED JEWELS AND KEEPER MEANS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flled Dec. 10, 1969 INVENTOR. JACK SCHNEIDER BY 5w 7- A36 tag ATTORNEY United States Patent ARTICLE OF JEWELRY WITH DETACHABLY MOUNTED JEWELS AND KEEPER MEANS THEREFOR Jack Schneider, North Miami Beach, Fla., assignor to William Schneider Inc., New York, N.Y. Filed Dec. 10, 1969, Ser. No. 883,702 Int. Cl. A44c 17/02 US. Cl. 63-29 R 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A custom-made finger ring is adapted to mount a selected number of set jewels therein. The keeper may be a single member with a recess holding said jewels, or a pair of members to be secured in said groove at respective ends of a row of said jewels. The ring has a transverse groove formed in the head thereof having inclined side walls which make a dove-tail fit with the settings of a row of selected jewels slidably received in said groove. Keeper means mounted in said groove brackets the row of jewels and screw means lock the keeper means in said groove to retain the row of jewels securely therein.

The present invention relates to a novel and improved finger ring in which jewel settings can be selectively and releasably mounted.

A popular type of finger ring on the market today is one in which a series of precious or semi-precious jewels are mounted in accordance with the wishes of the consumer. Such rings are provided, for example, to enable the wearer to keep a memento of the children in his or her family by including the birthstone of each child. As additional children are born, their birthstones are added to ring. The birthstones are ordinarily set in a straight row across the face of the ring and the settings must be secure and permanent so that the stones are not lost during wearing of the ring.

Since the aforementioned rings are custom-made according to the dictates of the purchasers, and since the jewels require a secure setting, it has hitherto been necessary to mount the stones in the factory which manufactured the ring. Thus, the purchaser would select a ring style in a jewelry store, designate the number, type and arrangement of jewels to be included in the row, and then would be required to wait until his order was sent to the factory, the ring fashioned and delivered to the jewelry store. In the event the jewels were to be added or removed from the ring, it would again be necessary to return the ring to the factory for this purpose. This requirement for factory processing of the ring was time consuming, inconveriient and increased the cost of the ring and any renovation thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a finger ring of the character described in which selected stones can be mounted therein in a jewelry store in accordance with the desires of the purchaser of the ring, and in which the ring can be renovated when desired in the jewelry store to add or remove stones, without requiring the ring to be returned to the factory for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a finger ring of the character described which is so constructed as to permit a selected number and variety of jewels to be quickly and easily mounted therein in such a manner that the stones will be retained securely within the ring during normal wearing thereof.

, A further object of the invention is the provision of a finger ring of the character described in which the ring is provided with a transverse slot and the jewels are provided with settings of such construction as to be slidably inserted and securely retained in such slot, by one or more keeper members locked in position within said slot by removable screw means.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a custom made finger ring having a head with a flat upper surface in which is formed a transverse elongated groove having a flat bottom wall and a pair of inclined side walls. A plurality of jewels are also provided, each jewel being mounted in an individual setting sized to be slidably received in said groove and having inclined side Walls making a dovetail fit with the inclined side walls of said groove. The ring also includes keeper means adapted to be mounted in said groove and sized to bracket a row of said jewel settings inserted in said groove, and releasable means locking said keeper means in the mounted position thereof, whereby to retain said jewels securely and immovably in said groove. The keeper may be a single member "with a recess holding said jewels, or a pair of members to be secured in said groove at respective ends of a row of said jewels.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view showing the component parts of a finger ring made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2' is a top plan view showing the ring of FIG. 1 in its assembled condition;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken along line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective, exploded view showing the parts of a modified embodiment of ring made in accordance with present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing the ring of FIG. 5 in its assembled condition;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6'; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section taken along line 88 of FIG. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 show a finger ring 10 incorporating structure made in accordance with the present invention. The ring 10 has the usual shank 12 and an enlarged head .14 having a flat top surface 16, inclined fiat side surfaces 18 and 20, and an inner bezel 22 (FIG. 3) defining a flat bottom or inner surface 24.

The head 14 is formed with a transverse groove 26 which extends between the side surfaces 18 and 20 and opens at its opposite ends through said side surfaces. The groove 26 also opens at its top through the top surface 16, along its entire length. Although the groove 26 may be located at the center of the head top surface 16, or at any other suitable location, it is illustrated in the drawings, by way of example, as being offset from the transverse center line of the head 14 so as to permit the mounting of a permanent stone 28 which may be a diamond or other precious jewel, or may be the birth-stone.

of the wearer.

The transverse groove 26 has a flat bottom wall 30 and inclined side walls 32 and 34 which coverge as they approach the top surface. A pair of small tapped bores 36 and 38 extend from the slot bottom wall 30 downwardly through the head 14 and open through the flat bottom surface 24 of bezel 22, as best seen in FIG. 3. The bores 36 and 38 are spaced from each other and are adapted to mount miniature set screws 40 and 42, for a purpose to be presently explained.

For the purpose of mounting selected jewels, such as the jewels 44 and 46 on the ring 10, a keeper member in the form of an elongated bar 48 is provided. The bar 48 has a fiat top wall 50, a parallel fiat bottom wall 52 a pair of inclined side walls 54 and 56, and a pair of inclined end walls 58 and 60. Bar 48 is sized to fit precisely within slot 26 in the manner shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the bar 48 being slidable longitudinally within said groove 26 In the fully inserted position of bar 48, its inclined side walls 54 and 56 are parallel to and abut the respective side walls 32 and 34 of groove 26 as shown in FIG. 4 to provide a dove-tail fit which maintains the bar 48 se fgrely gitslgn fthl: grgove 26. In this inserted position, the

p wa ar ring head 14' 8 1S flush w1th the top surface 16 of Formed centrally within the keeper bar 48 is a cutaway groove 62 sized and adapted to receive and mount the ewels 44 and 46. In the shallow portion of the bar 48 beneath the groove 62 is a central, elongated through slot 66. The keeper bar 48 may be made of gold or other precious metal the color of which contrasts with the color pgttthe body of ring 10 to enhance the appearance of the As previously indicated, the jewels 44 and 46 are selected by the wearer as the birthstones of members of the wearers family, or for other purposes. Each jewel is mounted in a metal setting 68 in the usual manner. Each setting 68 has top and bottom walls 70 and 72 of square shape, end walls 74 and 76 extending perpendicularly between said top and bottom walls, and side walls 78 and 80 WhlCh are inclined outwardly from the top wall 70 to the bottom wall 72. The settings 68 are sized to be mounted side-by-side within the groove 62 of bar 48 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. In this mounted position the end walls 74 and 76 of the respective settings rest flu h aga1nst the end walls of groove 62, as shown in FIG. and the opposed end walls of the respective settings rest flush against each other. The side walls 78, 80 of the respective settings 68 have the same angle of inclination as the slde walls 54, 56 of the bar 48 and serve as flush continuations thereof. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the back or culasse of each of the jewels 44 and 46 projects from the rear wall 72 of the respective shallow setting 68 and is received in the slot 66 of the bar 48.

Wlth the jewel settings 68 mounted in the bar 48 as described above, the bar 48 is slid into the groove 26 of the rlng head 14 until it is centered in said groove 26 and the inclined end walls 58 and 60 of the bar 48 are flush with the inclined flat side surfaces 18 and 20 of the ring head 14. Depressed portions 82 and 84 may be formed In the side surfaces .18 and 20 of the ring head 14 immediately beneath the ends of the groove 26 to facilitate the accurate placement of the bar 48 and also to add to the ornamental appearance of the ring.

After the bar 48 is accurately located within the groove 26, it is secured in position by inserting and tightening the set screws 40 and 42 within the tapped bores 36, 38. As the screws 40 and 42 are tightened, they bear against the bottom wall 52 of bar 48, pressing the bar 48 upwardly so that the inclined side walls 54 and 56 of said bar frictionally engage the inclined side walls 32, 34 of the groove 26, and the bar 48 is secured against sliding movement within groove 26. The jewel settings 26 are also rigidly and securely locked in mounted position and cannot fall out of the ring because of the dove-tail fit of the inclined side walls 78, 80 of the settings with the inclined side walls 32, 34 of the groove 26.

FIGS. through 8 illustrate another embodiment of a ring 90 also made in accordance with the present invention, in which the stone settings are individually mounted and do not require a keeper bar such as the bar 48 previously described.

The ring 90 is generally similar to the ring of the previous embodiment, the head 92 thereof being formed with a transverse slot 94 having a flat bottom Wall 96 4 and inclined side walls 98 and 100. In this instance four jewels 102, 104, 106 and 108 are shown, each being mounted in a setting 110. Again, each of the settings has inclined side walls 112 and 114 which extend outwardly from the top to the bottom thereof.

In this embodiment, the jewel settings 110 are adapted to be mounted directly in the groove 94 of head 92, rather than being first mounted in a keeper member as previously described. For this reason, the settings 110 can be made deeper than the settings 68 of the previous embodiment, and the jewels 102, 104, 106 and 108 are more securely set therein. In this instance, the jewels do not project below the bottom walls of the settings 110, and the bottom surfaces of the latter rest flush upon the bottom surfaces 96 of groove 94, as shown in FIG. 7.

At one end of groove 94 an upstanding pin 116 is mounted, the pin 116 being secured in the position shown in FIG. 5, projecting perpendicularly from the center of slot bottom surface 96. At the other end of the groove 94 a threaded bore 118 is tapped centrally in the bottom surface 96. The bore 118 extends through the head to the bezel portion therebeneath, and is adapted to receive a small set screw 120.

The ring also includes a pair of keeper members 122 and 124 which are sized to be slidably received within the groove 94 with a precision fit. The first keeper member 122 has a pair of inclined side walls 126 and 128 which match the inclined side walls 98 and of groove 94, and the second keeper member 124 has a similar pair of inclined side walls 130 and 132. The first keeper member 122 has an elongated groove 134 out in its end wall, which groove 134 is sized and positioned to receive the upstanding pin 116 in groove 94. The second keeper member 124 has a small depression or concavity 136 formed in its bottom surface and sized and positioned to receive the end of set screw 120 for locking the member 124 in mounted position in a manner to be presently explained.

In assembling the ring 90, the first keeper member 122 is inserted in groove 94 from the end adjacent the threaded bore 118, and is slid to the opposite end, i.e. the right hand end as viewed in FIG. 5, until the upstanding pin 116 is fully received in groove 134. The member 122 is now securely retained in groove 94, the pin 1'16 preventing it from sliding laterally out of the slot, and the dove-tail fit of the inclined side walls 126, 128 of keeper member 122 with the inclined side walls 98, 100 of groove 94, preventing the member from being lifted from the groove. Each of the jewel settings is then inserted successively into the groove 94 from the end adjacent bore 118 and slid to a position in which they are in firm abutment with each other, the setting 110 mounting jewel 108 engaging the first keeper member 122. The second keeper member 124 is now inserted in groove 94 and slid into engagement with the setting 110 of the last jewel 102, as shown in FIG. 6. In this position, the depression 136 in the bottom wall of the second keeper member is in registry with the threaded bore 118.

To complete the assembly of the ring, the screw is turned in the threaded bore 118 until its end emerges from the bottom wall 96 of slot 94 and enters the depression 136 at the bottom of second keeper member 124. This turning of screw 120' is continued until its end is fully received within said depression and it presses upwardly on member 124, locking the latter securely in mounted position. It will be appreciated that the ring parts are now secured in position, the jewel settings being located between the immovably-mounted keeper members 122, 124, so that they are held against sliding movement within groove 94, and the dove-tail fit of the jewel settings 110, as well as the keeper members 122, 124, in said groove 94 preventing these parts from being lifted out of said groove 94.

It will be appreciated that while the ring 90 is shown as mounting four jewels, its construction is such that any desired number of jewels may be mounted therein in accordance with the desire of the user, the number of jewels being limited only by the width of the ring head 92. If a different number of jewels are to be mounted, it is only necessary to select keeper members of suitable lengths which will abut the ends of the row of jewel settings.

It will thus be appreciated that there has been provided a finger ring in which a selected number of jewels of selected types can be readily mounted in accordance with the wishes of the purchaser. The mounting of the jewels can be quickly accomplished by a retail jeweler while the purchaser waits, using only a small screw-driver or similar tool capable of turning the set-screw which looks the jewels securely in mounted position.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An article of jewelry for mounting a plurality of jewels having respective individual settings formed with inclined side walls, said article comprising a body having a flat upper surface formed with an elongated groove therein, said groove having a flat bottom wall and a pair of inclined side walls which converge from said bottom wall to the open top of said groove,

said elongated groove having a width sized to slidably receive the settings of said pluralit of jewels with the inclined side walls of the groove making slidable flush engagement with the respective inclined side walls of said jewel settings to provide a dovetail fit therewith, keeper means adapted to be mounted in said groove and sized to bracket a row of said jewel settings inserted in said groove to restrain slidable movement of said settings in said groove, and releasable means locking said keeper means in the mounted position thereof, said keeper means including first and second keeper members each having inclined side walls adapted to make a dovetail fit with the inclined side walls of said groove, said groove having an upstanding pin at one end thereof, said first keeper member having a recess at one side thereof sized to receive said upstanding pin when said first keeper member is inserted through the opposite end of said groove and slid toward said pin.

2. A finger ring according to claim 1 in which said second keeper member has a depression in the bottom wall thereof, and in which said groove has a threaded bore in the end thereof opposite to said upstanding pin, said releasable locking means comprising a screw mounted in said threaded bore and positioned to extend into said depression of the second keeper member in the mounted position of the latter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,740,060 12/1929 Baum 6329 R 1,877,750 9/1932 Birnbaum 63-29 R 2,253,343 8/1941 Nalick 6329 R 2,530,432 11/1950 Imowicz 63-29 R 2,613,466 10/1952 BoWder 63-29 R X 2,653,402 9/1953 Bonagura 63-15 X FOREIGN PATENTS 538,591 1/ 1931 Germany.

F. BAR'RY SHAY, Primary Examiner 

